Foldable umbrella stand

ABSTRACT

A foldable umbrella stand, the umbrella stand is comprised of two mutually opposite upright posts, at least a set of a grid frame and a water collecting tray provided mutually oppositely on the upper and lower ends of the upright posts and being rotatably connected on the corners on the inner edges thereof to the upright posts by means of a plurality of articular sheets; connecting rods are provided on the lateral sides of the grid frames and the water collecting trays to movably pin connect with the latter. The umbrella stand thereby can be stretched and positioned for placing therein umbrellas, and can be folded into a flat form with a small volume in favor of storage and transportation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the invention

[0002] The present invention is related to an umbrella stand, and especially to such an umbrella stand able to be folded into flat one with small volume when not in use.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] An umbrella not only can shelter rain, but also can shade sunshine, when in a rainy day or a sunny day; it is general that people take umbrellas outdoors. However, umbrellas are used in abnormal weather, they are folded and stored in appropriate places indoors when not in use.

[0005] For convenience of storage, a house or a store generally prepares an umbrella stand for temporary insertion and placing of umbrellas. Umbrella stands used nowadays are mostly fixed; they occupy quite many spaces that can be useful otherwise when not in use. Not only common users have such a trouble, but also manufacturers of umbrella stands require larger packing volume for transportation after the umbrella stands are made by that the umbrella stands occupy larger spaces. Besides, sellers feel inconvenient in displaying and warehousing the umbrella stands.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a foldable umbrella stand which is provided with two mutually opposite upright posts, the upper and lower ends of these upright posts are provided respectively with grid frames and water collecting trays. The grid frames and water collecting trays are provided on every lateral side respectively thereof with at least one connecting rod, and are rotatably connected respectively on the inner corners thereof with the inner surfaces of the upright posts. Thereby, when the umbrella stand is not in use, the grid frames and water collecting trays can be folded into a flat form with small volume taking advantage of the rotatable pin connecting points.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention just mentioned, the grid frames and water collecting trays used can be only one set provided on one side only of the two upright posts; alternatively, they can be two sets provided on both sides of the two upright posts.

[0008] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water collecting trays or corresponding frames for them can be provided on the bottoms thereof with positioning links, in order that when the umbrella stand is stretched, they can be firmly positioned by means of the positioning links.

[0009] The present invention will be apparent in its novelty and features after reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is an analytic perspective view of the elements of FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a side view taken from FIG. 1 in the direction of A-A;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a partial bottom view taken from FIG. 3;

[0014]FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the folding motion and the folding state of the embodiment in FIG. 3; and

[0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another preferred embodiment of the present invention and the state of placing umbrellas therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention is provided with two mutually opposite upright posts 10, 20 with a length slightly smaller than that of a common umbrella. In the preferred embodiment shown, the upper and lower ends of these upright posts 10, 20 are provided on the two sides thereof with two sets of grid frames 30 and water collecting trays 40. Taking one set thereof as an example, a grid frame 30 in opposition vertically to a water collecting tray 40 basically is a frame with a plurality of transverse rods 31 and a longitudinal rod 32 forming a plurality of umbrella inserting holes 33; while the water collecting tray 40 is a tray with an area in corresponding with that of the grid frame 30 for collecting rain drops. A plurality of corner ground-connecting feet 41 are provided on the bottom of the water collecting trays 40; in the drawing depicted, the water collecting trays 40 are assembled each on a corresponding frame 400.

[0017] The grid frames 30 and the water collecting trays 40 are connected by means of mutually opposite connecting rods 50 and 60 on the lateral edges thereof to the upright posts 10, 20. The connecting rods 50 and 60 are movably bolt connected on the upper and lower ends 51, 52 thereof with the grid frames 30 and the water collecting trays 40.

[0018] Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1-3, the connecting areas of the inner corners of the grid frames 30 and the water collecting trays 40 with the inner surfaces of the upright posts 10, 20 are provided with articular sheets 70, 80 for movable connecting. In the preferred embodiment shown, the connecting areas of the inner corners of the grid frames 30 and the water collecting trays 40 are provided respectively with notches 39 and 49 for welding thereto correspondingly one end of an articular sheet 70 (80), while the other end of every articular sheet 70, 80 is provided respectively with a hole 71 or 81 for insertion of a pin 78 from the outside of the upright post 10 or 20 correspondingly to movably connect the aforesaid other end of every articular sheet 70, 80.

[0019] In order to increase the positioning ability of the umbrella stand when it is stretched, one of the water collecting trays 40 can be provided on the bottom thereof, and most preferably on the bottom of its corresponding frame 400, with positioning links 90. The positioning links 90 are pin connected by means of pins 91, and the other ends thereof each is provided with a hole 92, so that when the umbrella stand is stretched, it is stretched by rotation taking the pins 91 as axes, then the holes 92 are connected by bolts 93 on the bottom of the other of the water collecting trays 40 to connect the latter (referring to FIG. 4).

[0020] When the umbrella stand is not in use, it is folded about the movable connecting points 71, 81 and 78 of the articular sheets 70, 80 as shown in FIG. 5 toward the upright posts 10, 20 into flat one with small volume. Contrarily, when in use, it is stretched to the state as shown in FIG. 1.

[0021] In the preferred embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 with only one set of a grid frame and a water collecting tray, the grid frame 30 and the water collecting tray 40 on one side of the upright posts 10, 20 can be folded and stretched in the same way as stated above, and umbrellas 100 can be inserted to stand therein.

[0022] The present invention thereby can have a fixed umbrella stand folded into flat one with small volume when the umbrella stand is not in use. The user or the manufacturer both can have it folded for placing umbrellas or for transportation; such an umbrella stand is really convenient and practicable. 

Having thus described my invention which is convenient and practicable, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States are:
 1. A foldable umbrella stand, said umbrella stand is comprised of two mutually opposite upright posts, at least a set of a grid frame and a water collecting tray provided mutually oppositely on the upper and lower ends of said upright posts and being rotatably connected on the corners on the inner edges thereof to said upright posts by means of a plurality of articular sheets; connecting rods are provided on the lateral sides of said grid frames and said water collecting trays to movably pin connect with the latter; said grid frames and water collecting trays are folded into a flat form with a small volume about the rotatable pin connecting points thereof in connecting with said upright posts.
 2. A foldable umbrella stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein, only one set of said grid frame and said water collecting tray arranged mutually opposite to each other vertically is provided on one side of said upright posts.
 3. A foldable umbrella stand as claimed in claim 1, wherein, two sets of said grid frame and said water collecting tray arranged mutually opposite to each other vertically are provided on the two sides of said upright posts.
 4. A foldable umbrella stand as claimed in claim 3, wherein, said water collecting trays are provided on the bottoms thereof with positioning links for firmly positioning.
 5. A foldable umbrella stand as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein, the connecting areas of the inner corners of said grid frames and said water collecting trays with said upright posts are provided each with a notch for welding thereto one end of a corresponding articular sheet, while the other end of every one of said articular sheets is pin connected with a corresponding one of said upright posts. 